Walmart VS. Rite-Aid Drug Costs

[Keith]

I've been using the local Rite-aid (Oakhurst) for over 4 years and I'm happy to do so, because of the revenue that stays in our community, visa-via sales tax and jobs.

My Perscription drug bill ,monthly ,is that of a full blown user of drugs. I have a $ 2,256.00 perscription bill for about 34 differant refills monthly. I asked the Pharmisist at Rite-aid, Fady , about what type of programs or discounts I would quailify for and his response was, "I don't know",

I Felt a little shiver come over me since I have recieved well over $85,000.00 worth of perscriptions over the last 48 months.

I went to Walmart on a whim and low and behold they had someone work with me to drive my costs down quite a bit...
Sorry Rite-Aid and Oakhurst, but I'm forced to buy my drugs from Walmart in Fresno, or thru the mail from texas. I'll stick with semi-local Walmart....For now.

Guess Rite-Aid is just an Ice Cream stop for my thursday nights watching "LOST"... Hey did anybody tape the last Lost, I was stuck in Fresno with Car troubles , didn't get home untill 11:00p.m....

[Surfus]

That sucks that you have such a hi drug bill.
Now I won’t complain about my $100 per month after insurance habit.
Most of the service in the Larger Drugs stores has gone down hill in the past few years. I guess now that they killed all the MOM and POP drugs stores they feel they can Kill Customer service.
We have been using Longs for the past 10 years and in the past year the service has dropped.
I spend a lot of time as a kid in Small town MOM and POP drugs stores for my father Traveled around the state doing Promotional photos.
Drugs have very low margins for the Drugs stores they have to make the money on the front end (Non drug items in the front of the store) The larger Chains can get product cheaper and offer better prices on the front end and that was the end of small town pharmacies.
so there is no wiggle room for Drugs store to give discounts. And what kill the profits for drugs stores are the shortages of Pharmacists. Almost every Pharmacist works over time at their drug store or competing drugs stores at around $75 per hour.
Every noticed the same Pharmacists working both Longs and Vons?

[Mysteefied]

I unfortunatly recently had an experience at the local Rite aid pharmacy that I wasn't happy about.
My daughter was visiting from out of town and forgot her prescription at home, when she called her rite aid in her town, they said she could just go to our local rite aid, so we called first and were told it was too late in the day, they were busy, call tomorrow. So we went in the next day and they told us there was nothing they could do. First they were rude to my daughter on the phone and then it was only after my pushing that they finally got on the phone and get the prescription for her the next day. I was pretty peeved that my 19 year old daughter couldn't go in and get her own prescription because they treated her so differently than when I stepped up to the counter with her. That is just wrong, and totally lazy! Anyhow, I make sure she always brings her prescription now and told her to switch to longs.

[BGW]

Here's the link to one of the programs Wal-Mart offers.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?cat=546834

[Yosemite_Wolf]

I stopped going to Longs for scripts. First, they wouldnt fill my refill a few days early so that I would have enough to last me through a three week holiday out of the country. Then, last summer, I took a script into Longs, it was barely 6pm, but they said "we close soon and won't have time to fill it!"... it was only darvocet and an antibiotic. I trotted over to vons and they said "oh, no worries that should take us 15 minutes to fill!" I've had several experiences at Longs where they've said "we are out of that, we can fill it in 2 days." I'm like... this is an antibiotic! I need it now!". I always fill my scripts at Vons if Ive been to Oakhurst Community Med Centre. But for my routine stuff... i go to community medical providers on herndon.

Thank goodness for Health Care Re-imbursement. They take 40 dollars out of my check bi weekly and that goes towards my medical costs. And the money is taken out pre tax too!

[Sandman]

I have been tempted many times to go to Wal-Mart to get a few things I needed. However, I have opted to pay a bit more to avoid that store. I hate Wal-Mart and will avoid them at just about any cost.